Operating mechanism for signals.



C. RIENER.

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR SIGNALS.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN\20, 1917.

Patented Sept. 18, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I C. RIENER.

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR SIGNALS.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.20, 1917.

Patented Sept. 18, 1917.

2 SHEETS'SHEET 2.

TO LAMP TO BATTERY pnrran s'ra'ras ra'rnnaiorrron.

1 CHARLES ItIE'NER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

17' I i i OPERATING MECHANISM FOR SIGNALS.

Specificationof Letters Patent. Patented Sept, 18 1917,

Application filed January 20, 1917. Serial No. 143,419.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES RIENER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Operating Mechanism for Signals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of an improved operating mechanism for signals, one 'object of the invention being to provide a mechanically operative signaling deviceincluding a portion which can be extended beyond the sides of the vehicle to give a signal and can be retracted to its inoperative position after the signalhas been given.

Another object is to illuminate said portion of the device so that it will be visible at night.

A further object is to so construct my invention that the same means which is operative to project said portion of my invention into a signaling position, is also operative to effect the illumination of said portion when in its projected position.

It is common practice with drivers of vehicles to extend their hand beyond the side of the vehicle as a signal to oncoming vehicles of an intention to turn, slow up, or stop. To signal in this manner requires that the driver remove one of his hands from the steering wheel which often results in the driver losing control of the vehicle. It is therefore one of the important objects of my invention to provide a device which will render the above mentioned manual signal ing unnecessary, and I preferably make the above mentioned extensible portion of my invention in the form of a human hand and thereby produce the same general signaling effect as does the manual' signaling above referred to.

These objects, and other advantageous Fig.2 is an enlarged fragmentary sec-' tional elevation of certain of the operative parts illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2. r I

Fig. 4 is a face view of electric current controlling means which I employ.

' Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a toggleoperating carriage which forms a part of my invention. i

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section on the line 6'6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged'section on the line 8 8 of Fig. 1. V

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view of the electric illuminating portion of my invention.

Fig. 10 is a section on the line 10- 10 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a casing in which is secured a supporting plate 2, the latter having a yoked upper end providing two parallel plate sections 3 and 4 which are spaced apart to provide a chamber 5. A

- shaft 6 extends through a hole in the casing 1 and also through holes in'a saddle 7. This shaft has an angular portion 8 which is of a length substantially equal to the distance between the legs 9 and 10 of the saddle 7.

A hooked cam 11 has one of its ends provided with an angular hole 12 which fits the angular portion 8 of the shaft 6, so that a rotation of said shaft causes the rotation of the cam 11. The lower free end 13 of the cam 11 is designed to move between two rollers 14 and 15 on a carriage 16. This carriage comprises two plates 17 and 18 which are arranged substantially parallel and connected by two short shafts 19 and 20 upon which the rollers 14 and 15 are rotatably mounted.

Disks 21 and 22 are also rotatably mount ed onthe shafts 19 and 20 and arranged at opposite sides of the rollers 14 and 15 for a purpose hereinafter described.

Vertical slots 23 are formed within the plate sections 3 and 4, and the disks 21 and 22 are designed to roll against the edge surfaces produced by said slots 28, the plates 17 and 18 of the carriage being disposed outside of the plate sections 3 and 4. The hooked cam 11 is designed to engage between the rollers 14 and 15 and moves through the chamber 5, forexample, fromthe full line position shown in Fig. 3 to the dot-anddash line position shown in the same figure. It will thus be understood that a partial rotation of the shaft 6 in opposite directions will produce reciprocation of the carriage 16 longitudinally of the slots 23 or in other sections 47 are spaced apart as shown at 48 words, the carriage '16 will be'raised and lowered. To facilitate this movement, 1 provide the shaft 6 with a handle .24 as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1.

The plate 17 of the carriage 16 is provided with a lug 25 which forms a pivotal connection forthe ends 26 of a pair of 1inks27 the links of the pair 33 and is pivoted thereto.

In the same manner, another pair of links 36 are pivotally connected to the link 34, and

y a link 37 'ispivotally connect'ec'l'between the pair of links 33 and the pair 36. Each of the links of the pair 36 and the link 37 have end links 38 pivotally connected theretoand to each other as shown at 39. A bar 40 is secured to'the' upper cfthelinks38 and to a signaling member 41. It will thus be .noted that the links above described form .a toggle lever which, when the carriage 16 is raised, will be retracted into the dot-anddas"h line position shown in Figs. land 2, and with it the member 41.

On the other hand, when the carriage 16 is lowered, the toggle lever will be extended into the position shown in full lines in :Fi gs. 1 and 2. The member 41 is preferably made of metal and in the form of a human hand, and comprises two main sections 42 .a'nd43.

The sections 42 and 43 provide a chamber 44 and are hinged'together at their top edges as shown at '45 and provided with a clip 46 at their lower .edges to keep the sections closed under operative conditions. Each of the sections has extensions 47 which combine to form the fingers of the hand, and these so that light from an electric lamp 49 which is within the chamber 44, will shine through and be visible through the spaces between the fingers or between the sections-47.

The lamp 49 may be of any of the usual form .ofelectric bulbs, and its socket '50 is held within a spring clamp '51 which is ,-secured to the section 42. The bar 40 is also secured to the section 42, so that the section 43 is free to open on the hings 45 to permit access ,to thelamp 49. The section 43 is also provided with a hole 52' which is directly in register with the lamp 49 (see Fig. 1).

The-means which is operative ,to illuminate the lamp 49 when the member 41 'isex' tended, consists of. the following ele- Inents:-A recessed collar 63 i s-secured to the inner end of the shaft 6by means of a set screw 54. An insulating sleeve 55 has a hole through which the. said inner end of the shaft extends and also has a portion 56 which fitswithin the recess of the collar 53,

the set screw 54 passing through the portion 56-of the insulating sleeve as clearly shown .in Fig. 2. r

The outer endo'f' the sleeve 55 is elliptical in shape as shown Fig.4, and is provided with a. metallic band 57 1 preferably made of copperor other materialwhich is a good conductor of electricity Two metalli brushfs or, switch arms58 and 59 are free. at their upperends and ex- 1 a greater distanceapart than [themi ioraxis of the elliptical. band 57, and oflessjidiss tanfce apartlthan the major axis o'fysaid r elliptical, .band. "Forexample, when the bandis the .positionshown in 4, it contacts with 'both .of gtllBjbI'llSllfiS 58 and 59., however,'whencturned in .a position at right angles to the position of this figure, the brushes .58 :and will be out of contact with the band, such a--position.being"shown in dot and-dash lines in Fig. 3. r

The lowerends of the brushes 58 .and59 are supported by an insulating block 60 K which in :turn iscarri'ed bya bracket 61 secured to .the leg 9 of the saddle 7 .(see Figs. 1 .and .2). The block 60 has a concaved upper surface 62 against which fits a clamping plate 63, the latter being ,secured :by

screws 64 to .the bracket This forms ;a rigid support for the insulating block 60 and the brushes 5,8 and 59.

The linksof the toggle lever 28 are provided with eyelets ;65 which form guideways for the wire 66 which leads to the lamp '49, said lwire beingextended to a battery (not illustrated) .and branches of the wire current will be supplied to the lamp 49 .to

moved to. .contact with the brusl1es. 5:8 and a 5'9 and thereby illuminate the lamp when the member 41 is extended. On vtheother hand, when theshaft 6 .is turned'in .an op posite direction .to effect the raising of the carriage 16, and to retract the member 41, the band 57 will be moved out -of contact with .the brushes 5.8. and .59 and the lamp. 49'

will be extinguished. V p 1 As illustratedgin Fig. 10, each of the pivotal connections between the links of the being connected to the respective brushes 58 and 59 sothat when theelliptical band 57 is in the position illustrated in} Fig. 4, the:ele.ctric circuit willbeclosed and toggle lever28 areformed to include a ring 67 which is fitted within a hole 68 in the link which is intermediate the links of the port to which it is connected. The pin 69 forming the pivot between the links, extends directly through said ring, and through the links of the pair which are arranged at opposite sides of the intermediate link. By this construction, friction between the links of the toggle lever is reduced to a minimum, since the rings 67 form extended bearings for the pivotal connections.

In the use of my invention, it is only necessary for the operator or driver of the vehicle to move the handle 24 a quarter of a turn to effect the extension of the member 41 to give the signal, and upon the return of the handle 24 to its original position, the

member 41 will be retracted.

The casing 1 may be secured in any suitable manner to the vehicle and the handle 24: may be located directly adjacent the steerin g wheel, so that it will require but a small movement of one of the drivers hands to actuate the handle 24: and thereby produce the signal.

While I have described my invention as taking a particular form, it will be understood that the various parts of my invention may be changed without departing from the spirit thereo and hence I do not limit my self to the precise construction set forth, but

consider that I am at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a member, a lever supporting said member,'means forming a slotted slideway, a carriage having anti-friction rollers thereon movable in said slideway and for engagement with the opposite walls thereof, said carriage being secured to certain of the links of the toggle lever, and means for moving said carriage to effect pivotal movement to the links of the toggle lever and thereby cause said member to be extended and retracted, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a member, a lever supporting said member, means forming a slotted slideway, a carriage having anti-friction rollers thereon movable in said slideway and for engagement with the opposite walls thereof, said carriage being secured to certain of the links of the toggle lever, and a cam for moving said carriage, said cam being designed to engage against certain of the anti-friction rollers, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a member, a toggle lever supporting said member, a supporting structure, means for pivoting one of the links of said toggle to the supporting structure, means providing a slideway, a carriage pivotally connected to another of the links of the toggle lever, and a cam operative to reciprocate said carriage, substantially as described.

4E. The combination of a member,-a toggle lever supporting said member, a supporting structure, means for pivoting one of the links of said toggle to the supporting structure, said supporting structure having a guide-way formed therein, a carriage slidable within the guide-way and having means spaced apart, said carriage being pivotally connected to another of the links of the toggle lever, and a cam operative to move between said latter means to effect the move ment of said carriage within said guide-Way whereby the member is extended and retracted by the toggle lever, substantially as described.

5, The combination of a member, a tog gle lever supporting said member, a sup porting structure including two sections spaced apart, a carriage including plates designed to slide at opposite faces of said sections of the supporting structure, shafts connecting said plates, rollers on said shaft and extending between said sections of the supporting structure, said sections of the supporting structure having slots therein forming guide-ways and through which said shafts extend, a cam for engagement between said rollers of the carriage, a shaft operatively connected to said cam, a handle on said shaft, means forminga pivotal connection between the carriage and one of the links of the toggle lever, and means forming a pivotal connection between said supporting structure and another of the links of said toggle lever, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a member, a toggle lever supporting said member, a supporting structure including two sections spaced apart, a carriage including plates designed to slide at opposite faces of said sections of the supporting structure, shafts connecting said plates, rollers on said shaft and extending between said sections of the supporting structure, said sections of the supporting structure having slots therein forming guide-ways and through which said shafts extend, a cam for engagement between said rollers of the carriage, a shaft operatively connected to said cam, a handle on said shaft, means forming a pivotal connection between the carriage and one of the links of the toggle lever, means forming a pivotal connection between said supporting structure and another of the links of said toggle lever, and disks on said first-mentioned shafts for engagement with the edge surfaces of said supporting structure form ing said slotted guide-ways, substantially as described.

7 A toggle lever including links pivoted together certain of said linksbeing arranged. nameto-this specifieation'in the presence of in pairs with a veonnecolng link nterposed two subscribing wltnesse's.

betweenihem, and rings surrounding the v p pivots for said links and interposed between I I 1 CHARLES RIENER' the links of the pairs, substantially as de-4 'Witnesses: scribed. (1R. ZIEGL R,

In testimony whereof I have signed my CHAS; E. Poms;

Copies ot-this patent may be obtained for five cents each, lay addressing the ,Commissioner of Patents.

I Washingtomi). G. s I 

